


Of Living Metal

by DaughterTime



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Altean Lance (Voltron), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon divergence around season 3-ish, Cubanish Lance, Expect more, Follows a lot of the first season or 2, I'm a sucker for Pidge and Lance acting like siblings, Lotor isn't a jackass, Lotor was my fav, Minor Allura/Lotor (Voltron), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pidge and Lance acting like siblings gives me life, Pidge is an evil mastermind, Protective Siblings, Season 7 was amazing, Shiro and Keith acting like siblings, Tags Are Hard, Tags May Change, Universe Alteration, don't screw with pidge - Freeform, fight me, hunk is beautiful
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-22
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2018-09-22 12:09:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9606953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaughterTime/pseuds/DaughterTime
Summary: There was a time when Galra, Altea, and Corsith were the great powerhouses of the universe. And then my kingdom fell and I was left alone to ten thousand years to protect Allura and Coran and the Lions until the Paladins returned.The Paladins of Voltron have arrived.





	1. There was a Time

There was a time when the Galra would've been my greatest ally, their leader my closest friend.

There was a time when Galra, Altea, and Corsith were the great powerhouses of the universe, leading the way towards peace and protection.

There was a time of brave kings, noble princes and daring princesses.

Just as there was a time when Earth was a distant thought, a nameless planet that mattered to no one in the universe.

And then the Galran king turned on the people. Betrayed Voltron. Decimated my home planet. Laid waste to Altea and the people I had come to call my own.

Then there was the time of hiding, submitting. Protecting forgotten princesses on faraway planets until the Paladins arrived. Protecting the Lions of Voltron until new Paladins could return.

I spent my time protecting those that I could and creating secret alliances in preparation for the Paladins and their return.

Creating allies that they could rely upon when the time came to strike.

The Paladins have returned. The time to strike is now.


	2. Push Back

I slammed the wrench against the control panel with a scream of frustration, before immediately grinning smugly as the food machine sputtered back to life.

"I win," I grinned victoriously, before turning off the lights and navigating the dark Castle, making my way towards the main deck. The screen in my arm came to life and I crossed the Kitchens off my list. An old alert flashed across my screens and I pushed it away absentmindedly, focusing back upon my to-do list. The Castle needed some basic cleaning, repairing and updating. By now, the guest rooms, kitchens, training deck, and the royal suits were completed. The medical pods were next. I dismissed an update alert about the Castle defense systems before making for the cleaning supplies. I stood, ready to turn away when the Castle alarms began to blare.

The cleaning supplies fell from my fingers, forgotten instantaneously as the alarms blared and the room glowed with flashing blue lights. I whirled towards the main screen, already at the main control consol, processing the information it portrayed instantly. The Castle was using Allura's excess quintessence to open a portal from Earth. The portal was opened by the Blue Lion. The Blue Lion was was coming home. The Paladins were returning.

A grin stretched across my face as I bolted towards the cryogenics-room. I laughed, breathless with joy as I faced the pods that held my two sleeping companions. "The Paladins are coming home," I whispered before bolting down to the front doors to greet them.

I climbed the wall and launched myself onto the walking pathways that navigated the entire castle, meant to be used in case of attack and for maintenance. And there I waited, perched by the front door, awaiting Blue's cry to open the Castle doors, anticipation thrumming through my system.

And then it came and my heart lept into my throat as the Castle doors swung wide to greet the Paladins.

The five of them had changed since last I saw them. Keith had grown a mullet and Katie had cut her hair. Hunk was just as twitchy as ever and it brought a smile to my lips as I watched them navigate the Castle. Lance's skin had grown darker, his hair too. The casual wear suited him, though I could see the tension and lines of apprehension as they continued slowly through the Castle. The smile fell when my gaze descended upon Shiro's arm. It was cybernetic, Druid-make. My grip tightened around the railing as guilt swirled in the pit of my stomach. I would need to apologize to Shiro later. It was my fault he hadn't gotten away from the Galra sooner. My fault because I had been unwilling to risk further interference.

Brushing away the unpleasant thought, I followed them as they twined their way through the Castle. The identity scanner fed their information to me and I flicked on the lights, guiding the Paladins to the cryogenics-room, to Allura and Coran. I then commanded the Castle to open Allura and Coran's cyropods and Allura tumbled forward with a cry.

"Father!" and she fell into Lance's arms. The room paused for a moment until Lance grinned.

"Hello," he crooned and Allura's dark face went white. I watched the panic fly across her eyes and decided it was time to intervene. I prepped to vault myself over the railing when Allura spoke.

"Who are you? Where am I?" she cried, looking around and I sighed in relief as Lance continued flirting with Allura. Then my girl did me proud by grabbing Lance's ear and whirling him around.

"Who are you? Where is King Alfor? What are you doing in my castle?" she demanded and Lance stammered to answer, his back bowed against Allura's hold.

"A giant blue lion brought us here. That's all we know." and Allura stared down at him in confusion.

"What do you mean that's all you know?" she asked softly, looking to each of them in turn. Pain flashed breifly across her features before, ever the diplomat, she cleared it to disguise her lack of information.

"How do you have the Blue Lion? What happened to its paladin? How long has it been?" she asked, releasing Lance and making her way to the control consul in the center of the room.

"We don't know what you're talking about. Why don't you tell us who you are? Maybe we can help." Shiro replied and Allura stared at him hard.

"I am Princess Allura of Planet Altea. And I am very curious as to who you are." She answered coyly and Shiro stared at her in surprise for a moment before responding.

"My name is Shiro. The boy you just pinned is Lance. One in red is Keith. The one beside me is Hunk and the last one is Pidge." He replied and Allura stared at them hard before Coran's cryo chamber opened. He stepped out and bellowed a battle cry before trying to attack Lance. I withheld a snicker, knowing that Alfor would be disappointed that Lance's combat skilled had digressed so much.  
  
"Enemy combatants!" and Coran bent over, still tired. "Quiznak! You're lucky I have a case of the old "sleep chamber knees." Otherwise, I'd grab your head like this, wrap you up like so-- One, two, three--" and he mimed breaking Lance's neck. I laughed and all heads swiveled up towards me. I vaulted myself over the railing and landed beside Coran, resting a hand on his shoulder. Even he and Allura were surprised to see me and I chuckled softly.

"Coran, please don't kill the Paladins." I chortled before turning my gaze towards Allura, who was making a rather chocked sound.

"k-Kallie?" She croaked and I nodded, stepping forward.

"It's me, Allura." and she stumbled forward and I crushed her in a hug, her head tucked against my shoulder. I sighed softly into her hair as the tight knot in my chest slowly dissolved. She was awake, she was okay, and we could finally end this.

"What are you doing here?" She asked softly and I laughed softly into her hair.

"My job, Allura. I'm doing my job." And I pulled back to look at her. Apprehension resituated itself in my chest at her gaze. Her eyes were hard, uncertainty and questions ringing within them and I knew that the second we were alone, she would be badgering me with questions. She met my eyes fearlessly and spoke clearly.

"How long have we been asleep?" and I took a deep, steadying breath.

"10,000 years," and she reeled backwards. Her eyes were wide and Coran's were narrowed in confusion, his shoulders dropping as he processed the information. The Paladins stared at the three of us and glanced among themselves as I sighed. My hands itched and I struggled to keep them steady as a new knot of unease wrapped itself around my chest in a bind.

"What?" and I took another deep breath as she stared at me in fear and confusion.

"Altea and all of the planets in your system have been destroyed," and the two Alteans reeled.

"Are you sure? Are you certain?" Allura asked quietly and beside me, Coran nodded, approaching Allura.

"It is, princess," I replied, and her breath hitched, eyes filled with pain. Lance stepped forward to comfort her and her eyes snapped towards his, studying his face as he froze, before flicking her gaze over the Paladins and back to me. Her eyes hardened for a fraction as she shifted her gaze quickly from Lance back to me and I knew that she and I would be having a yelling match later.  
  
"Zarkon, I assume," she spat bitterly and I nodded to answer her hidden question.

"Zarkon?" Shiro gasped and Allura's face twisted with bitterness.

"He was the King of the Galra. A vile creature and enemy to all free people," She spat and Shiro blanched.

"I know him, I recognize the name. I was his prisoner," He said shakily and then it was Allura's turn to freeze.

"He's still alive? That's impossible!" She cried before whirling on me. "It's not true, it's can't be!" Her eyes pleaded for me to tell her that Shiro was wrong, that this was a lie. That the man who killed her father was dead. So I took a deep breath, told my apprehension to take a space walk, and laid out the truth for her.

"Zarkon is still alive. He has expanded his kingdom and it now contains a vast majority of the known universe and is now a whole Empire. It grows by the quintant and the goal is to have the entirety of the universe conquered within the span of an Earthen year," The air froze as every one in the room took in the words.

Allura fell, and Coran was launching forward to catch her, easing her down onto the floor.

"He's still alive," she whispered breathlessly and I nodded.

"He is, Princess. I'm sorry I didn't kill him," I replied softly and she shook her head.

"It's nothing to worry about, Kallie. I don't blame you," she whispered and I nodded. Allura's face was pale, her eyes shaking with impending tears as her face played out a visual war as her mind fought to retain in the information and not break down. Coran wasn't much better, but pride swelled in my chest as her continued to take care of Allura, despite his own distress.

"Princess, you must eat. It's been 10,000 years," he cooed softly and Allura shook her head.

''I'm not hungry," and mock anger rose in me.

"You are eating, Allura. That's not a request," she stared at me and I whirled on Coran. "You as well, Coran. Both of you have been asleep for 10,000 years and _both_ of you need to eat. I have not spent 10,000 years guarding you two only for you to not take care of yourselves."

Coran stared at me in bewilderment until he bowed under my gaze. I nodded firmly and stood, smirking as I watched the Paladins argue.

"I can't believe your civilization created such advanced technology 10,000 years ago. It must have been an incredible place," Pidge admired and I smirked, keeping in mind that the last time I had seen Pidge, the young paladin had been admiring the technology even then. The admiration quickly turned to self-bitterness as the memory of when I last saw Pidge reminded me why the admiration was new. And why I couldn't discuss it.

"Yes, it was, Pidge," I said softly, looking down at Allura. Pain flashed in her eyes and her gaze fell as I continued. "It was most impressive indeed. And now it's gone," I glanced over at where Lance was seated beside Allura, and I assumed even he could tell that it was the wrong time to flirt. "They are the last Alteans," I gestured and Coran glanced up at me, smirking as he caught my double meaning. But it didn't change the truth of the statement. Even Pidge's face fell as I finished speaking and I sighed.

"Maybe we aren't the last after all," Allura suggested beside me and I stared at her in bewilderment as she stood, walking over to her pod. Now that I was paying attention, I could hear squeaking and I chuckled softly as Allura stood up, holding four Altean mice in her hands. I grinned and she looked up at me in joy as I chortled. "I had forgotten that they had stowed away in your pod," I admitted and she chuckled, looking down at them fondly. This would not be easy for Allura and Coran. It honestly wouldn't be easy on anyway of them. Behind me, the Paladins were still talking to one another and fear wrapped around my throat. The Paladins would need to be told the truth eventually. I wasn't looking forward to the day that I would have to confess everything to them. Tell them the truth of their own past and my own.

the sudden blaring of alarms had my thoughts jumping and my body moving, lurching towards the control panel as Coran appeared beside me. Fingers flew over the keys in a frenzy and they froze just as quickly as they began as Coran discovered why the alarms were going off.

"A Galra battleship has set its tracker to us! How did they find us?" Coran exclaimed and my fingers flew over the keys, activating trackers and trying to discover the reason why, as the Paladins debated behind me.

"I'm not sure, but I bet it's Keith's fault." Lance. I hadn't sent any distress signals so that wasn't how they found us.

"Say whatever you've got to say to make yourself feel better. After getting us stuck on the other side of a wormhole!" Keith. Not all Castle systems were online yet so it couldn't be that they tracked our signature.

"I'll stick you in a wormhole!" Lance. Signature. Lance. Lion.

"Stow it, cadets! This is no time to place blame. It's time to work as a team. How long before they arrive?" Shiro asked and the answer clicked.

"They tracked the Lion." I said suddenly, whirling around to face everyone. "If Zarkon has a druid working with him, which I would say he definitely does, then the druid would have sensed the Altean energy given off by the Lion. The druid also would have sensed Allura and Coran. You particularly Allura would've given off an enhanced energy signature after you woke up," I looked to Allura and she nodded. "That's how they found us. Coran," I spoke, turning back to him, "to repeat Shiro's question, how long will it take that ship to arrive?" He grinned and began counting to himself, playing the numbers on his fingers.

"At their speed? Oh, well, carry the two, and I'd say probably a couple of your Earth days," he calculated and I nodded.

"Good," Allura commented, putting the mice aside and stepping forward. "Let them come! By the time they get here, you five will have reformed Voltron, and together, we will destroy Zarkon's empire!" She commanded and I grinned, noting the way it focused  the five new Paladins and ignoring the soft pang of grief it left in my chest.

"Princess, there are five of these lions," Shiro began and I summoned the control panel as he finished speaking. "How are we going to find the rest?"

"King Alfor connected the lions to Allura's life force. She alone is the key to the lions' whereabouts," Coran explained bismally and I shook my head.

"No, Coran. The late King did not." Even Allura looked astonished by my statement and I stepped forward, figners flying over the control panel as I explained.

"Alfor never had the chance to complete the ritual that tied Allura to the Lions and their Paladins. After Zarkon attacked Altea and he placed the two of you in cryo-sleep, he entrusted me to hide the Lions from Zarkon, a task I completed quickly and efficiently. I have checked upon each of the Lions periodically to ensure their safety and can tell you each of their locations with ease," I finished smugly, before hitting a key and a map of the universe spanned the course of the room, taking everyone's breath away as the galaxy surrounded us.

"Whoa! These are coordinates," Pidge realized quickly, her gaze immediately snapping towards the Blue and Black Lions. "The Black Lion looks like it's in the same location as the Blue Lion," She concluded and Coran grinned.

"Look at your primitive synapses firing away in their little brain cage," he complimented and Allura nodded, taking her place at the center consol.

"Very observant. That's because the Black Lion is in the castle," she replied and Coran bounced off of her explanation.

"To keep the Black Lion out of Zarkon's hands, King Alfor locked it in the castle. It can only be freed if the other four lions are present,"

The image of the Black lion floated over towards Allura and she smiled down on it fondly before speaking. "As you have found, the lions choose their pilots. It is a mystical bond and cannot be forced. The quintessence of the pilot is mirrored in his lion. Together, they form something greater than science can explain,"

"The Black Lion is the decisive head of Voltron. It will take a pilot who is a born leader and in control at all times, someone whose men will follow without hesitation. That is why, Shiro, you will pilot the Black Lion," she proclaimed, pushing the image towards him. He looked down upon it in surprise for a moment before looking up at Allura and nodding. She stared back at him, meeting his gaze before she took nodded, and I grinned smugly, noting the ever so slight shift of color in her cheeks and her eye scales. Allura was enjoying the presence of Shiro, just as much as she had in the past. My gaze slid over to Shiro and I smiled fondly at the memories of the two of them together. Now Shiro just had to remember.

"The Green Lion has an inquisitive personality and needs a pilot of intellect and daring. Pidge, you will pilot the Green Lion." Pidge accepted it gladly and Allura moved onto the Blue Lion.

"The Blue Lion--" she began and Lance interrupted.

"Hold up, let me guess. Takes the most handsome slash best pilot of the bunch?" he asked and my hand lashed out, knocking him across the back of the head. He opened his mouth to complain, but his cry fell silent upon seeing my face.

"The Blue Lion is the friendliest of the 5, and is the most accepting. Its pilot must have confidence, loyalty, and the ability to adapt. The Blue Lion chose you, Lance. Do not disrespect that decision," I snapped, Tahyliah's face filling my mind as I spoke. Allura stared at me and I flinched away from her gaze, grief welling inside my chest as Allure continued.

"The Yellow Lion is caring and kind. Its pilot is one who puts the needs of others above his own. His heart must be mighty. As the leg of Voltron, you will lift the team up and hold them together," she proclaimed and presented the Lion to Hunk, who looked around and grunted in confusion.

"The Red Lion is temperamental and the most difficult to master. It's faster and more agile than the others, but also more unstable. Its pilot needs to be someone who relies more on instincts than skill alone. Keith, you will fly the Red Lion." and the Lions new Paladins were decided, Allura and Coran ignoring my gaze as the ritual was completed. 

"Unfortunately, I cannot locate the Red Lion's coordinates yet," Allura finished off-handedly and my head shot up right, my gaze bolting towards her.

"Allura," I began cautiously, "what do you mean you can't track down the Red Lion? Its hidden among the lava quarries on Tahjeer," I explained and she shook her head.

"The Castle can't find the Red Lion anywhere near Tahjeer," my felt froze and my fingers danced across the keys as my mind struggled to process the words.

"It's on Tahjeer, Allura. The Red Lion is  _on_ Tahjeer. It has to be," I panicked and my breath hitched as the Castle reported that the Lion's energy signature could not be found anywhere on Tahjeer. I whirled around to face Allura, noting how she was right behind me and I launched into a tirade.

"I checked on it a week ago, Allura. _A week ago._ And now _it's gone,_ " I emphasized and she gently grabbed my arm.

"We'll find it, Kallie. There might be something wrong with the Castle," and her words had me desperately shaking my head.

"I made sure that the tracking system worked, that it was constantly up and running. It would have told me-" my voice cut off as I thought about that old alert. The alert that had been flashing across my screen for days. My arm felt heavy as I lifted it, my fingers thick as I activated my screen and scrolled through the alerts.

_Shifting of Tahjeer's outer plates._

_Lubos dethroned by Galra on Okari._

**_Movement of Red Lion's energy signature. 5 quintants ago._ **

My arm dropped heavily and the room swayed as disbelief coursed through me. It was followed by rage. "Qwurtick!" I cursed, my fingers flying across the keys, demanding to know where the Lion was. Where _my_ Lion was.

"I'll find it Allura," I swore softly. "I'll find it. I promise. Send the others after the Green and Yellow Lion's."

I lifted my head to hers, our gazes connecting for a few ticks before she nodded, turning back to the Paladins.

"When all 5 Lions are gathered, you will form Voltron, the most powerful weapon in the universe," and their sounds of awe filled the room as the holograms on the Lions came together to create Voltron. Allura sent Lance and Hunk off to find the Yellow Lion, while Shiro and Pidge were sent to retrieve the Green Lion. Keith would stay behind while I tracked the Red Lion.

"Coran," I asked suddenly and the old advisor froze to look down at me.

"Yes, Miss Kallie?" he asked and I groaned.

"Coran, do not call me 'miss'. Kallie or Kalanera will do just fine," I lightly scolded as I stood. "And second, may I connect my software to the Castle? Rerouting the information and giving the Lion's energy signatures a larger beacon to cling to may help me find it faster."

The advisor blinked at me for a moment before a grin split across his face. "Yes, that just might work!" he exclaimed, before darting underneath the panel to grab some wires and I laughed.

"Can I ask you something?" a voice questioned behind me and I looked over my shoulder to see Keith standing there awkwardly by himself.

I nodded, turning to face him fully. "Of course you can, Keith,"

Hesitation painted itself across his features and unease filled his eyes as he shifted from foot to foot. I swiped away Coran's hand as he reached for my arm and I stepped forward, dismissing the screen coming from my arm.

"Never by afraid to ask me questions, Keith," I reassured softly. "It is my job to protect Allura, Coran, the Lions and their Paladins. Keeping you informed also helps keep you safe. I know I can't answer every question, but I will answer those I can. So never hesitate to ask me questions, ask for advise, offer better solutions. This is a team, not a dictatorship. So ask me anything you want," I ended with a slight grin and while his hesitation remained, his unease slowly faded from his eyes, replaced only with cautionary curiosity.

"What are you?" and I outright grinned, taking a step back and away from him, dropping into a low bow.

"My name is Princess Kalanera, of the Lost Planet Corsith. Guardian of Princess Allura and the Castle of the Lions, Defender of the Paladins of Voltron," I said simply, grinning at him and he stared back at me in slight surprise. I very clearly hadn't answered his question the way he had wanted me to! I chuckled and bounded forward, pulling up beside him and holding up my arm.

"Corsith was a planet made of metal and its people were metallic and living," I said simply, opening the door in my arm to reveal the winding tangle of metal, and circuits, and veins. Keith stared down at it and I heard the slight hitch of his breath, the quickening of his heartbeat.

"We're really in space," he whispered, and I was immediately sent to the past. I launched myself backwards, slamming my arm shut, and marching away from Keith, his words ringing in my ears, exact duplicates to words that had fallen from the same lips, 10,000 years ago. 10,000 years of pain, darkness and loneliness, watching world after world after world fall to Zarkon relentlessly and 10,000 years separated me from the first time Keith had said those words. They separated me from the last time I had felt free.

Allura was before me in ticks, lightly grabbing my arm and asking if I was alright, doing what she had always done whenever I began to panic. I shook my head, casting away the darkness, shedding the heaviness of the truth.

 _It does no good to linger upon the past_.

King Maronoq's voice echoed in my mind and I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath.

"Better?" Allura whispered and I nodded, taking another breath before turning back to Keith.

"My apologies, Keith. I didn't mean to startle you, so please pardon my outburst," the new Red Paladin stared at me in surprise and I forced a small smile.

"Your words sparked an old memory. Please forgive me if I was alarmed," I explained wistfully and he nodded mutely.

"Want to help me and Coran with the Castle?" I offered and he shrugged.

"I'm not very good with computers," he admitted and I scoffed.

"You don’t need to be good with computers," I laughed and grabbed his hand,. "You just have to be good with your hands!"

 

A while later, Allura pulled me from Keith and Coran into a nearby corridor, out of ear shot.

"Do you mind explaining to me what is going on with the Paladins?" she demanded, her voice like steel.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about, Allura," I replied numbly and she stepped forward.

"You are my guardian and a member of my kingdom. I am your princess and I demand you answer my question," she hissed and my eyes narrowed.

"I am not a member of your kingdom, Allura. I belong to no kingdom now. And as a guardian, it is within my right to with hold information from my charge if it means protecting them," and I stepped forward, forcing her to take a step back.

"Corsith and Altea have been destroyed and your father is gone. And King Alfor charged me with protecting you, Coran, and the Paladins by any means necessary. If that means lying to you, then so be it," and I stepped back, my voice softening.

"I'm aware that you have made the connections between Lance and the others to your brother and the 4 Earthens we brought here 10,000 years ago. But I need you to trust me. Everything was done voluntarily, all 5 of them agreed to everything we did and I need you to trust me on that. Please, Allura. I need you to trust me. Give me time to find the Red Lion and deal with the present Galra threat. Once it has past, I will explain. Until then, I need you to remain silent and trust me," and I stepped forward again, wrapping my hand around her forearm in an old Altean form of respect.

"When have I failed you?" I pleaded, and a war appeared across her features, clearly battling with herself on what to say. I searched her eyes and she exhaled, her shoulders sagging before looking up. She held my gaze, returning my grip without looking away.

"I trust you, Kalanera of Corsith."

 

By the time the two hours were over, Keith, Coran, Allura, and I had the majority of the Castle systems up and running. And I still hadn't found the Red Lion. I was at the control consol looking when the other Paladins arrived.

"You made it," Allura greeted and Lance groaned.

"Yeah, just barely. That was a nightmare. I almost puked out there. I felt like Hunk!" he exclaimed and Hunk deadpanned.

"Think how I felt. I am Hunk," and everyone chuckled.  
  
"Did we find the Red Lion yet?" Shiro asked and I grimaced.

"Give me just a moment," I hissed, as the computer continued to give me error screen. "Oh you blaspherous, piece of-" Ding!

"Found it!" I yelled in triumph before pulling up the coordinates. My joy instantly turned to confusion as the coordinates changed ever so slightly every tick.

"It's moving?" I asked aloud before re-reading the coordinates again. Then my gaze rose towards the image of the battle cruiser that was now ridiculously close to Arus. And then it dropped back to the coordinates. And back up to the Galra battlecruiser. I knew exactly where the Lion was.

"Quiznack."

"What is it? Where's the Lion?" Allura asked urgently and I groaned, dragging a hand down my face.

"Coran!" I yelled. "Your finger counting was off. The cruiser is now orbiting Arus," I said flatly, before looking back down at the Lion's coordinates. "The Red Lion is now orbiting Arus,"

A silence followed my statement before Coran expressed what all of us were thinking.

"Quiznack."

"Yep!" I popped, still staring at the screens. "I leave that damn Lion unattended for a week and it ends up on a battle cruiser that is on its way to destroy us," I leaned my head back and looked at Allura. "Sounds like a pretty typical second quintant," the comment was worth watching her laugh.

"So wait, the battle cruiser is here already? And the Red Lion is on it?" Kieth asked and I looked over my shoulder at him.

"Well considering the coordinates say the Red Lion is orbiting Arus and the only thing my scanners can detect that is orbiting this planet is the battle cruiser, I'm going to say yes," I replied bluntly and Shiro's face darkened, clearly to reprimand me, but he was interrupted. My circuit buzzed, alerting me of an incoming transmission and I immediately set upon allowing it through.

"Incoming transmission, Allura," and there he was, in all of his purple-furred, Galra glory.

"Princess Allura, this is Commander Sendak of the Galra Empire. I come on behalf of Emperor Zarkon, Lord of the Known Universe. I am here to confiscate the lions. Turn them over to me, or I will destroy your planet," and the transmission ended.

"All right, let's not panic," Shiro began and of course, Hunk panicked. My mind immediately raced to find a solution, and kept the conversation at the background of my mind.

"Not panic? The scary purple alien thing is driving his battleship toward us. We only have four lions." Hunk. The Castle can't attack the ship.

"Technically, only three working lions." Pidge. Our firepower isn't nearly up to par with current Galra tech.

"That's right. Thank you, Pidge. Three working lions and a castle that's, like, 10,000 years old." Hunk. The Lions could do some decent damage.

"Actually, it's 10,600 years old. You see, it was built by my grandfather--" Coran. But how would we get the Red Lion out?

"Thanks, Coran. Thank you for that. See? Now is the perfect time to panic!" Hunk. Getting the Red Lion would solve all of our problems.

"Wait! This castle has a particle barrier we can activate." Allura. We need to get Keith and I onto the ship. That was the answer.

"Girl, you've already activated my par-- OW!" he exclaimed as my hand swung out to cuff him on the back of the head.

"The particle barrier won't hold Sendak's ion cannon forever," I countered and she turned to me, desperation sneaking into her eyes and I worsened it with the truth. "Galra tech has advanced incredibly since the last time we fought it. Not even I truly know what we are up against." Her shoulders sagged and the Paladins continued discussing.

"Panic now?" Hunk asked and Shiro shook his head.

"No. We've just got to figure out our plan of action, and figure it out quickly," he commanded

"I say we pop through a wormhole and live to fight another day," Lance suggested and Hunk immediately agreed.

"I second that. Yes. We tried to find all the lions, right? We gave it the old college try. Couldn't do it. We only have three. We can't form Voltron. I guess we could form a snake. Or a worm! To go through that hole, Lance, that you were talking about." Hunk declared and Lance grinned triumphantly.

"Then, it's settled. Allura, you ride with me. One of you take the old guy," he dismissed and even my temper was rising. Luckily, Pidge voiced my reasoning.

"We can't just abandon Arus. The Galra will keep destroying planets and capturing prisoners until we stop them," She reasoned but Hunk and Lance were not going to be swayed.

"Okay. If we run, then maybe Sendak will follow us and leave this planet alone, like when we left Earth. We form the snake-worm thingamajig and we-- [hisses] out of here," I shook my head against Hunk's statement.

"Sendak could destroy the planet then come after us anyway. Staying is our only option," Keith countered. This was flying out of hand. Allura and Coran watched the back and forth banter and Allura looked on helplessly as the Paladins argued themselves in circles. And the three of us had no idea what to do.

"Here's an option: shut your quiznak." Lance. All three of us blanched, as that was  _definitely_ not the proper way to use that word.

"I don't think you're using that word correctly." Keith

"What do you know, Mullet?" Lance

"We're staying." Keith

"Leaving!" Lance

"Staying!" Pidge.

"Snake!" Hunk.

"Guys, stop!" Shiro intervened and I took a deep breath.

"Princess Allura, these are your lions. You and your friend have dealt with the Galra Empire before. You know what we're facing better than any of us. What do you think is the best course of action?" he asked and Allura paled. Coran looked over at me, eyes raised in a silent question and I nodded in answer. He nodded.

"I-I don't know." she stammered and Coran stepped towards her.

"Perhaps your father can help," he offered. Coran, Alfor and I had planned to store Alfor's memories in an A.I. chamber in the castle. Allura hadn't known. Well, at least if she spoke with Alfor, it might help.

"My father?" and Coran guided Allura away, leaving me with the Paladins. They remained divided, glaring at one another and muttering amongst themselves. Shiro looked up at me hopelessly. He looked as lost as I felt.

I sighed and walked forward, towards the control consol and compared the images of Sendak's ship and Arus.

"I'm staying," I said suddenly and all of them turned to look at me as I turned to face them.

"While I do care what all of you decide, I'm staying on Arus,"

"Why?" Shiro asked and I met his gaze.

"Because Arus has peacefully housed myself and the Castle. It gave the Castle a new home so I could defend Allura and Coran and the Lions. And in turn, I defended this planet, and its system as well as I could. This planet provided sanctuary after both of my homes had been destroyed, and in turn I protected it. I _will not_ abandon it now. And, running won't solve the current issue," I reasoned, looking at Lance and Hunk. "The current issue isn't Zarkon, or Sendak, or our supposed impending doom," I gestured behind me. "The issue is the Red Lion. The sooner we get our hands on Red, the sooner you all can form Voltron. Getting the Red Lion is our focus," I finished and Hunk was there to question.

"But we can't form it right now. We only have 3 lions and a whole battle cruiser!" A grinned spread across my face and I shook my head, laughing.

"Hunk Garret, you have my guarantee that a single Lion of Voltron, in the hands of a capable and experienced Pilot, could take down a Galran battle cruiser with ease," and now I had their attention.

"It's intimidating now, believe me, I understand more than any of you realize how scary and intimidating it can be. But, you have to trust us. You have to trust each other. And most importantly, you have to trust yourselves. You have to trust yourselves to make the right decisions, you have to trust that your team mates, myself, Allura and Coran included, will protect your back and guard you. And you have to trust Allura, Coran and I, that we will train you. We will help you, for this is not a fight any of us can win alone," I saw the impact of my words. Lance and Hunk were looking at each other, they were all looking at one another, and hope flickered there. Then Allura arrived.

  
"You five paladins were brought here for a reason. The Voltron Lions are meant to be piloted by you and you alone. We must fight and keep fighting until we defeat Zarkon. It is our destiny. Voltron is the universe's only hope. We are the universe's only hope," she pleaded and they all looked around at each other and Shiro looked back at me.

"If you are with us, Princess, then we are with you."

 

Coran led the way to escort the Paladins to the room with their armor and their bayards.

As the Paladins changed, Allura took a deep breath before stepping forward, opening the case, and looking down at the bayards with reverence.

"I remember when Father gave all of you your bayards," she whispered and I smiled fondly, resting a gentle hand on her arm.

"Yep. And now its your turn. You know what to do," and I stepped back, allowing Allura to complete the honor of distributing the bayards of the Paladins.

"The bayard is the traditional weapon of the Paladins of Voltron. It takes a distinct shape for each paladin," and the bayards presented themselves. Hunk's took the form of a heavy cannon that he held cautiously. Lance received a simple blaster that he immediately fell in love with. Pidge received a grappling hook, that she promptly used to electrocute Lance with. And Keith surprised me. His bayard transformed into a sword, his gauntlet creating a shield and I knew that training with him would be easy.  
  
"Shiro, I'm afraid your bayard was lost with its paladin," Allura confessed and I held back a flinch as to the reason why.

"I guess I'll just have to make do," Shiro amended and we all headed back to the brig.

"You'll need to retrieve the Red Lion from Sendak's ship," I began and Keith looked up at it skeptically.

"That's a pretty big ship. How are we gonna know where the Red Lion is?" Keith asked and I shook my head.

"It's not a matter of 'we,' Keith. It's a matter of "you." I explained and he opened his mouth to protest when Hunk stepped in.

"Kallie is right. Once we get you in, you'll be able to feel its presence and track it down," Lance decided to add to it.

"Yeah. You know how you felt that crazy energy while we were in the desert?" he asked and Keith deadpanned.

"Yeah. You made fun of me for that," and Lance grinned.

"And I'm proud of that, but turns out it's exactly like that mumbo-jumbo,"

"Keith," Allura called, gaining his attention. "Remember, the Red Lion is extremely temperamental. You'll have to earn its respect,"

"All right," Shiro began and we all turned to him. "Here's our plan of attack. The Galra Empire knows about the Blue and Yellow Lion, but they don't know we have the Green Lion, too. Hunk, Lance, you'll act as a decoy by pretending to give yourselves up. While Sendak is distracted, Keith, Pidge, and I will sneak onto the ship in the Green Lion. Keith and I will find the Red Lion while Pidge guards our exit."

"And myself," I interjected and Shiro stared at me. "Why would you come? Wouldn't it be best to stay with Allura and Coran?" he asked and I cocked an eyebrow at him.

"I am a highly trained warrior, Shiro, not a princess in distress. I am more than capable of defending myself and protecting all of you. Not to mention, plans change. It's best to be prepared incase something does happen. Also, I am familiar with the Red Lion, and its energy signature. If needed, I can aid you and Keith in finding it," I reasoned and Shiro considered me for a moment.

"I think that could be a good idea, Shiro. We could use all the help we can get," Keith added and Shiro nodded.

"So Kallie comes with. Hunk, Lance, find some way to take down that ion cannon. Let's move out."

 

"Pidge, what's your ETA?" Lance's voice drifted in over the comms. Everyone had immediately rushed to their Lions and it had been less than a varga since we left the castle. I had thrown on my old battle suit, a light weight, full-body piece that allowed for easy movement and numerous weapons. At the moment, I simply carried a knife and a small blaster.

I landed on the platform inside of the ship, immediately palming the small gun as Pidge answered Lance. Moments later, we were moving.

The hallways were dim, black walls lit only by dim luminescent purple lights every few feet. The halls twisted and turned and the sentries remained as eerie as the last time I had seen them: robotic in their movements, robotic in their minds, robotic in their hearts. Nothing emotional or merciful about that at all. The sentries actions relied on whatever a Druid had programmed them to be and the thought of mechanics being used in such a way gave me chills.

A pair of sentries had just passed us, Keith and Shiro preparing to move on while Pidge and I stayed behind, when Shiro panicked, falling to his knees with a gasp and his face ashen.

"Shiro," I asked calmly, dropping next to him, placing a steadying hand on his arm. "What's wrong?"

He was panting, his eyes wild and he gulped down breaths of air in an attempt to clam his raging heart.  
  
"I've been here before. After I was taken by the Galra cruiser off Kerberos, they brought us here," he panted and Pidge leapt onto the information.

"So, that means your other crewmembers, they might be held captive here. We-We've got to rescue them," she reasoned, but Shiro shook his head as he got to his feet.

"Pidge, we don't have time. We have to get the Red Lion and get back to Arus," he said calmly, placing a hand on the wall while facing a now fuming Pidge.

"But we can't just leave prisoners here!" and Shiro snapped. He pushed off the wall and stepped towards her, his voice growing in volume.

"Look, no one understands that more than me, but, in war, we have to make hard choices. Now, let's get moving," and he moved to walk away. I didn't budge, only watched as Pidge warred with herself only for a few moments before standing her ground.

"No!" she demanded, rushing to elaborate when Shiro whirled around. "Commander Holt is my father. He and my brother were the ones on the Kerberos Mission with you," she admitted and Shiro went gray once more. I stiffened beside her. Looks like I owe Pidge an apology too. My lack of interference caused the disappearance of her new father and brother apparently.

"Commander Holt is your father?" he urged and PIdge nodded.

"Yes. I've been searching everywhere for him and my brother. And I'm not going to give up looking when I'm this close. I won't!" and she whirled around to walk away when Shiro stepped towards her.

"I'm coming with you."

"What?"

"I remember where the prisoners are held. Keith, you and Kallie go find the Red Lion," Shiro improvised and Keith opened his mouth to complain when Shiro spoke again.

"Minor change of plans. You'll be fine. Just remember, patience yields focus," Shiro urged.

"Guys, incoming sentries, one hallway down," I warned quickly and we all bolted our separate ways.

I followed Keith as we ran through hallway after hallway, corridor through corridor until we came to yet another dead end.

"You have got to be kidding me!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms around and I suppressed a chuckle.

"What's so funny?" he demanded and I smiled.

"I just find it amusing is all. I could guide you to the Red Lion right now if you truly wanted me to but you refuse to ask for the help. You want to prove yourself to yourself, the others, and me. You want to prove that you can find Red on your own without assistance. It's admirable," I replied and he stared at me, his anger disappearing as he turned away slightly.

"Yeah. I guess so," he confessed, taking a deep breath. He muttered something to himself under his breath, taking another deep breath, before his eyes snapped open and he whirled around, a triumphant grin all over his face.

"Gotcha. Come on, Kallie. It's this way," and he bolted down the hallway with glee. I smiled after him for moment, pride in my chest, before following. When we neared the hangar door, I made us pause.

"Remember, we have to be careful," I said quietly, grabbing Keith's arm. "We don't know how heavily guarded the Red Lion is," I urged and he paused for a moment before nodding, and we carefully swung the doors open. Alarms went off in my mind when the room appeared empty, apart from some boxes, and the reddish glow from the looming figure of the Red Lion. Keith paused half way across the room to openly stare at it and I pulled up beside him, taking in the glory of the Red Lion beside him.

"Pretty cool, isn't it?" I asked and he nodded numbly, before stepping forward again. Our pause was our downfall. The moment Keith's foot connected with the floor again, sentries flooded the room in waves, blocking our exit and the lion. I immediately whipped out my blaster, shooting them down, while Keith hacked at the ones that came close and deflected shots with his shield. roughly 30 sentries blocked the lion. Another 20 blocked the door. We couldn't access the control panel to open the hangar doors. Well those were some pretty shitty options. I moved around Keith, ready to make a dive for the Red Lion when pain exploded across my vision and invisible hands gripped me in a vice. I screamed, thrashing, attempting to free myself from the pain and the restrictions, when suddenly I fell to the floor in a heap, Keith coming up next to me, continuing to prevent other attacks.

"Kallie! Are you alright? What happened?" Keith called, continuing to slash at the sentries as I unsteadily got to my feet. Then I looked up.

It stood at the exit of the room, a good head taller than all of the sentries. Its mask was narrow, pointed, with 6 eye slits, despite that fact that the creature beneath the mask most likely only had two. Its hood was up, framing the face and giving that mysterious air as its cloak floated around it. One hand extended towards Keith and I and everything slammed into place.

Druid.

The word echoed in my head, coated in bitterness and resentment, just as it picked me up with its magic, my entire body screaming in the pain against the magic, before throwing me against Keith. We both crashed to the floor, giving the sentries the advantage.

"Dismiss your bayard!" I hissed, and Keith looked at me in confusion before quickly placing the bayard at his hip and it shimmered out of existence as soon as hands were grabbing at Keith's arms, carrying us towards the front of the room to bow before the Druid.

'Your attempt to free the Lion has failed. And now we have a soldier and a Paladin. The Emperor will be pleased," it spoke calmly, and I yanked my arm back, affectively ripping the arm off of the sentry holding it and I rushed forward, slamming my fist against the Druid's mask. The Druid flew backwards, landing heavily on the floor before quickly recovering as I was quickly pinned to the floor by the sentries.

"Take them to a cell," the Druid hissed and Keith and I were dragged away, leaving the Red Lion behind us.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> King Maronoq- pronounced Mar-un-knock  
> Qwurtick- It's a cuss word. The Corsithian equivalent of Dammit
> 
> Also, if you guys have any suggestions on how to describe stuff like PTSD, panic attacks. If you have different ways you want me to portray the characters, just let me know


	3. Forced or Forged

Luckily for us, and foolishly for Sendak and the Druid, Keith and I were thrown in the same cell. Instantly, I contacted Pidge.

"Pidge! Lance, Hunk, Shiro! There are four of you, for the sake of the universe. One of you better answer your damn comm!" I demanded and Pidge laughed.

"We hear you, Kallie. Where are you and Keith?" she asked and I decided being blunt would be best.

"Keith and I got captured. What is the state of the ion cannon?"

"WHAT? You and Keith got captured? We're coming back for you!"

"No, Pidge! That's an order," I demanded. "None of you are to come back for Keith and I, I can get us out of here. You just have to trust me. Now, take out as much of that ion cannon as you can and get back to the Castle. Keith and I will meet you there with the Red Lion." I ordered and I was met with skepticism.

"How exactly are you going to get out of there?" Shiro asked and I grinned.

"This won't be my first time escaping prison, Shiro. Now get back to the castle. Kallie, out," I finished and then turned back to Keith.

"What do you mean 'this isn't your first time escaping prison'?" he asked and I laughed.

"It was a training exercise I did with the other Paladins. We would use battle stations from other species as training grounds. We would create obstacles and other various challenges and we had to fight our way out," I paused in my scan of the room to grin at him. "I was the reigning champ." He simply nodded.

Moments later, the door slid open and again, the Druid's magic held me in a crushing grip, it's magic reacting violently and immobilizing me with pain.

"I have informed Sendak of your presence. He will inform the Emperor shortly. But first, he wishes to know your name,' it asked, looking down at me. It released me from its magic and I fell over, bracing my foot underneath me. I moved my lips to give the appearance of muttering and the Druid leaned forward.

"What?" and I burst upright, sending my head straight into its face and sending it reeling backwards. I quickly grabbed the front of its cloak and threw it into the cell, dragging Keith out with me. Then I slammed my elbow into the circuit board, locking the Druid in the cell.

"See out the Red Lion! Now!" Keith nodded and we began running. He re-summoned his bayard and used it to slash through sentry after sentry that got in our way and I handled any that appeared behind us using a gun from a fallen sentry. Eventually, we made it back to the Red Lion.

"Open up!" he yelled, slashing through another sentry, and nothing about the Lion changed. "I am your Paladin!" he yelled clearly and I almost giggled. Then I turned around and something large and white sailed past my ear, impaling itself in the chest of one of the sentries. Keith had thrown his sword. He had thrown his sword at a sentry so I could have a fighting chance. Damn this kid was good.

I grabbed the sword, its weight familiar in my hands, and I cut the sentries down like paper in time to see Keith jam the system and send the hangar door open wide, sending all of us into the vacuum of space. And there, Red claimed Keith as her new Paladin, a decision that made me happy and upset all at once. Keith would be a good Paladin. They all would.

"Allura," I called, hitting the comm button Red's dash after Red scooped me up into her mouth. I waited a few moments and then her face filled the screen.

"Kalanera!" she cried, bringing her hands together, tears at the edge of her eyes. "Oh thank goodness. You both are alright. I'm assuming you have the Red Lion," she asked and I nodded.

"We do and we are on our way back to Arus. Prepare the hangar to the Black Lion, Keith and I will meet you all there. As soon as we inside, set about turning on the particle barrier. We took out his ion cannon, beat up his Druid and took off with a Lion, I'm willing to bet that Sendak is going to pursue us onto Aurs," I warned and she nodded.

"Alright, Coran and I will work on that immediately. Return here safely as fast as possible," she requested and I grinned, nodding. Her voice had wavered, her eyes flitting between Keith and I nervously. Her hands were clasped in front of her and they were fidgeting. My dear princess was much more concerned than she appeared.

"We'll see you there," and the connection cut off. Keith glanced at me once, nodded, and then urged Red forward, faster, speeding off towards Arus.

Red guided Keith towards the Black Lion hangar and the other three Lions were all assembled. I immediately exited Red and made for the brig, the sound of triumphant roaring following me, a wide grin stretching across my face as I entered the brig, Allura beaming down at me.

"You did it," she said and I nodded.

"Of course I did. Now, how is the particle barrier doing?" I asked, running up to my consol that Allura had set up while we were gone.

"We had some trouble at first, but now it is operational," she informed and I nodded.

"Perfect, because Sendak is entering the Arusian atmosphere," Allura blanched before contacting the Paladins.

"Paladins, Sendak is entering the Arusian atmosphere. We need Voltron now,"

And Sendak launched his attack. Allura raised the particle barrier just as the Paladins left the castle and Sendak fired his first shot with the ion cannon.

"Paladins, we can give you some cover for awhile, but you _must_ form Voltron or we're all dead," I commed, barely registering Hunk's sarcastic remark before informing Allura that all defense systems were online. She nodded grimly and we began launching beams that bounced harmlessly off of Galran particle barrier. Outside, the Paladins were doing well individually, but they were no closer to forming Voltron than they were before. They were bickering, arguing, panicking. The panic escalated when Sendak opened up his tractor beam.

Their cries filled my ears, rejections, dismissals, denials. Acceptance that this was their fate. Anger and desperation rose in my chest and I hit my comm button as Shiro began rallying speech.

"No! We can do this. We have to believe in ourselves. We can't give up," he began and I spoke to them all.

"Paladins. You have to trust one another and you have to trust yourselves. Trust your teammates, trust yourselves. Most importantly, you _have_ to trust the Lions, and you have to trust me. Trust that I will guide you, and that the three of us stand beside you," I urged, taking a deep breath. "We are a team. Your failures are our failures. We win together, we lose together. And I will be damned if we are losing now. Win together, Paladins, and rejoice in your victory. Do it together."

Everyone paused before I could imagine the grins on their faces as they all yelled triumphantly. And then Voltron was formed, and Coran stood beside me in awe.

I smiled softly, "I now understand why everyone was in awe of it so much," I whispered fondly and Coran nodded.

"It is a sight," he replied, glancing at me. "Is it difficult for you? Seeing them formed like this?" he asked quietly and I exhaled, lowering my head.

"They are not _my_ Paladins, Coran. That is the difference. Now let's get to work," I finished roughly, hearing the triumphant cries of the Paladins in my ears. As one, they broke the ion cannon and smashed the ship to stardust. I found myself pantomiming the movements and giggled to myself as the Paladins disbanded Voltron and the three of us ran outside to greet them.

"We won the battle, but the war has only just begun. I'm afraid Zarkon will not stop until he gets these lions," Allura greeted grimly and the joyous mood plummeted slightly.

"Good thing you paladins know what you're doing, because you're going to have to form Voltron again and again," Coran announced and all of them stared at us in shock, their faces so comical, I laughed.

"Don't worry, Paladins. We'll help you form it more easily, and on demand. Coran and I will help train you," I reassured and Hunk stared at me incredulously.

"Wait, what? We barely survived forming Voltron this one time!" He exclaimed and Coran stepped in.

"And you only had to fight one ship. Wait until you have to fight a whole fleet of them! It's not going to be easy being the Defenders of the Universe," he reminded and Shiro smirked, turning to look at the Lions.

"Defenders of the Universe, huh? That's got a nice ring to it," he said softly and I grinned.

"Indeed it does, Shiro. Now, since I am sure you are all exhausted, how about I show you to your rooms?" I asked. "The Lions can get to their own hangars, so don't worry about them. But training starts tomorrow and I am quite certain you would rather get more sleep now than lose some in the morning," I teased and Lance yawned.

"Kallie's right. I'm beat," he admitted and I grinned.

"Come. Training starts tomorrow."

 

I glanced at Allura, completely unsure of her 'brilliant' plan. The Princess was furthering my claim every second that I should be in charge of the Paladins training, but she wasn't swayed."Allura, I'm not really sure this is going to work,"

She ignored me."It will be fine, Kallie. This is the perfect way to test our new Paladins." She assured and set off the alarms.

"Everybody up! Zarkon's attacking! The Castle's about to be destroyed! Go, go, go! We need Voltron now! Hurry! We can't survive much longer!" She yelled over the intercom and I rested my face in my hand as Coran gave her pointers.

"You've got to sell it a little bit more. Oh, no! Allura is dead! Aw, it's horrible! Her head fell off! Wait! What? Her severed head is trying to speak to me! What is it, Allura's head? What are your final words?" Coran cried and I sighed in embarrassment as Shiro, Pidge, Hunk, and Keith ran onto the Bridge, one out of the four of them ready to fight.

"Oh, yes, Princess, I'm listening." Copan asked and Allura frowned in irritation.

"It's over." she replied bluntly and Coran didn't get the hint.

"Oh, I know! If only Voltron had been formed."Then he looked up and saw the Paladins."Oh! Time!" 

"I guess this isn't an actual attack." Shiro asked, confusion and irritation lacing his voice.

"And it's a good thing it wasn't because it took you-Coran?"

"Seventy-five degrees," The old Altean replied proudly. My face sunk deeper into my hand.

"Oh, sorry, "Coram said as he realized his mistake. "No, this is a meat thermometer."

"However long it was, it was too long,"Allura sighed. "You must always be ready to do battle with Zarkon. Look at you! Only Shiro is in uniform. Keith, Pidge, Hunk, where are your bayards? And where is Lance?" Allura cried and low and behold, the door swung open to reveal Lance. He was dressed in a blue sleep robe and blue lion slippers. His eyes were sleepy, his hair mussed from sleep, and his face was written with confusion.

"Good morning, everybody. What's going on?"He asked, and I sat, burying my head in my hands. Allura had not cleared me to oversee the Paladins training. She had insisted upon doing it herself. And if this was how it was going to begin, it would be a very long day.

"Coran, Kallie, and I have been up for hours getting the Castle back in order. We had to run a test on the alarms, and we decided to test you as well. Guess which one failed." she scolded and Hunk protested.

"Hey! You got to sleep for 10,000 years, man. Monday night, I was on Earth. Now, I've flown through space, fought some evil alien named Zarkon, eaten goo in some weird castle. That's a lot to process in, uh I don't know. What day is today?"Hunk asked.

"It's the third quintant of the Spicolian movement. Hump day! "Coran quipped.

"It's a lot to process." Hunk finished but Allura wouldn't budge.

"You must understand the stakes of our mission. Over the last 10,000 years, the Castle picked up distress beacons from the following locations." And she pulled up the map of the universe that contained all of the planets that had cried for help. All of the planets I had ignored while doing my duty. I broke in before Allura could finish.

"Zarkon has imprisoned a significant portion of the known universe and an attack on Earth is inevitable." Their faces dropped and I nodded.

"Allura, Coran and I are preparing the Castle to leave Arus. In that time, training will begin and you must begin mastering how to form Voltron. Once that's done, we can take the fight to Zarkon." And I watched as Shiro rallied them together to get to work. My day was spent looking over Allura's shoulders, shaking my head as she put the Paladins through training.

Had she learned nothing while watching the original Paladins struggled when we first formed Voltron? I found myself asking that question every five ticks. Allura didn't understand the bond between Lion and Paladin, or the bond between paladin and paladin. She didn't understand the connection, how deep it had to flow, how forcing the bond would weaken , instead of strengthen it. She had so much hope and optimism that they would come together instantaneously, that the fight against Zarkon would be won the moment we left Arus. Allura didn't understand the workings of this new world she had woken up in. And she wouldn't listen to me when I tried to explain.

Because of it, Lance and Keith had taken a dive into the desert and almost killed themselves. She and Coran had launched a full scale attack upon the Paladins, expecting them to form Voltron that instant, despite them being under friendly fire. They had already been forced to protect each other, when no trust had been established. Trust issues had yet again come up when Lance refused to be guided by Keith through the maze. They had already crossed into dangerous territory after the stunt Coran pulled. I almost strangled the old man for introducing the mind meld helmets so soon in their training. And now she was reprimanding them for not having defeated the gladiator their first time.

I snapped.

"Enough, Allura! Reprimanding them for failing to defeat the gladiator is wrong and you know it. You _can't_ expect it of them," I commanded, standing between her, and the Paladins. "I'm taking over their training because your methods aren't working. Pushing them this heavily will get them nowhere." She huffed at me and pressed.

"We need to push them! Otherwise they'll never form Voltron. They'll never become a team. Zarkon will win!"

"Zarkon already has!" I snapped and silence descended over the training deck. Allura, Coran, and the paladins stared at me in horror as I took a deep breath to calm myself.

"Zarkon already has won, Allura." I repeated dejectedly. "He has won every battle, conquered every planet, destroyed every resistance without fail and without hesitation. The paladins are our chance to turn the tables, to start a new game, to keep Zarkon on his toes _until_ we win." I elaborated and Allura jumped at me.

"Yes! Which is why they must train, they must form Voltron. Do you not understand-"

"Yes, Allura!" I growled, stepping forward, and Coran took a defensive step towards the princess. "I _do_ understand. I understand better than all of you. I've watched him take down planets. I have watched the number of distress beacons increase and increase endlessly for ten thousand years and I could answer none of them!" She stared at me, all of them did, but I mowed on anyway. "You do not understand Allura! You are pushing them to levels they cannot reach. Not yet. It took u-the previous paladins _decaphebes_ to perfect forming Voltron. They all came together for the first time _yesterday_." I deadpanned and she bit her lip. "I am aware that you want to help, I am aware that they need to be pushed. But this is when you allow the weapons and training expert to do her job and train the paladins." Allura stared at me, pain and agony bright in her eyes and I sighed, the fight draining out of my like the tide.

"You need to allow me to train them, Allura. Because Zarkon has won every battle leading up to this moment. We have to tread carefully. If the Paladins are pushed too far and too heavily, the trust required among them will never come to be. And that is when all hope is lost. The trust among Paladins is like the bond between Paladin and Lion. It cannot be forced. Only forged. So left me temper them in trial and fire, as King Alfor did the first Five. Allow me to do for them what your father did for me."

The silence was thick, palpable in the air as Allura fought within herself to decide what to choose. I knew her. I knew this bright, brilliant young princess so clearly desperate to help, so clearly desperate to be more than just a pretty face. But Allura was no fool, and she knew when the yield. And her shoulders sagged, her eyes closing heavily as she sighed and breathed a single word.

"Alright," she consented and I nodded.

"Besides, while I'm working with the Paladins, you and Coran can be readying the Castle. I am not perfect, so I'm fairly certain there is at least one Castle system that isn't working properly," I admitted and a small smile slid across her face.

"That is true," and I stepped forward to whisper in her ear.

"You have my permission to proceed with your plan for dinner," and I pulled away, her grin bright and devious.

"Just let me do my job, alright?" And she sighed, nodding.

"Alright. Coran and I can work on the Castle in the mean time," she agreed and I nodded firmly.

"Alright Paladins, we are opening the maze again," all of them groaned as I grinned. This time around was gonna have a twist.

5 minutes later, Pidge, Hunk, and Shiro were with me in the control box and Lance and Keith were in the maze. Lance was blind folded and wearing gloves. Keith was going to guide Lance through by dragging his hands and Keith wasn't allowed to speak. Pidge, Hunk and Shiro would take turns guiding Keith by talking through a mic that would distort their voices so he wouldn't be able to tell who was who.

"Why is it this elaborate?" Pidge asked as I rigged the microphone that would change their voices.

"It has to be. Lance has to trust that whomever is holding his hand won't send him into any walls. Keith has to push his patience with Lance and realize that talking a lot is simply how Lance copes with stress. And by having the three of you alternate telling him where to go, Keith has to learn to trust all three of you. And as for the three of you," I grinned deviously before snapping bands around their wrists.

"Every time one of you sends Lance or Keith into a wall, you receive the same shock that they do! So you get punished for screwing them up. Now, the three of you have the trust that the other two won't purposefully try to screw with Lance and Keith," I finished and Pidge glared at me.

I looked down at her coolly. "I got your number, Pidge. You ain't gettin' away with _anything_ while I'm here," and the glare intensified before she sighed.

"Fine," she grumbled, before stepping forward to give the first command.

 

Overall, the paladins were only shocked three times while Lance and Keith were in the maze. And the look on Lance's face was priceless when he realized that Keith had been the one guiding him. Meaning: the trial had been successful. Hunk, Pidge and Shiro agreed to not tell Keith who had guided him when and Lance rambled on about demanding when it would be his turn to guide Keith. I just grinned at him, informing him that it would need to wait until tomorrow. We had to head to dinner.

 

"Ahoy, young Paladins!" Coran greeted, after the food had been plated and the Paladins seated. "I've whipped up a big batch of focusing food. After this meal, you'll be forming Voltron six times a movement and twice on the astral conflux!"

"Smells great, Coran. Thanks," Shiro replied before reaching for his food. 

"Hold the phone!" Coran demanded and all the Paladins froze. I strolled in, placing Allura's food before her and taking a seat beside her as Coran explained the last team building exercise of the day. Even I was looking forward to Allura's plan for dinner.

"I saw a lot of solid individual performances today, but you're still struggling to work as a team. So, welcome to the final bonding exercise of the day," he announced and the wrists of the Paladins were bound together. Hunk's face grew pale and he stared at Coran in terror.

"Coran, I want you to think about what you're doing," he pleaded, and the Altean advisor plowed on.

"This one's a classic. You get to feed each other, like a pack of yalmors!" And the Paladins began to eat. The exercise was met with varied results. Really, the results weren't very varied at all. Shiro gave the attempt to be positive for the first 5 ticks, and then gave up, which sent all five of them into a spiral of endless complains, grumbles, and moans.

"Do Earthlings ever stop complaining? How are you not bothered by this?" Allura scwoled, casting a glance at me, to which I replied with a shrug, continuing to peacefully eat my food.

"Now you know how it felt to babysit you and the royal children," I replied bluntly and Allura's mouth snapped shut as she mockingly glared at me. I met her glare head on, before Shiro distracted us.

"Can't you just give us a break? Everyone's been working really hard today," he countered, standing.

"Yeah!" Keith cried, jolting to his feet. "We're not some prisoners for you to toy with, like like -"

"Like a bunch of toy prisoners!" "

-Yes! Thank you, Lance!" Keith thanked and Coran stepped forward.

"You do not yell at the Princess!"

"Oh, the princess of what? We're the only ones out here and she's no princess of ours!" Pudge articulated and Allura lost her patience.

 

A moment of silence descended over the room as everyone froze, looking upon the food goo that Allura had flung at Keith.

"Go loose, Pidge!" and the food war began. Allura, and Coran, vs. the paladins, vs. me.  And it was glorious. Lance hurled Keith's food at Coran, who dodged, sending the plate towards me. I caught it quickly and began grabbing handfuls, tackfully throwing them at each paladin while dodging their blows. Hunk shoved some into his mouth and spat it out like a cannon and even Coran started throwing some around. By the end of it, food covered everyone and everything and all of us were laughing too hard to even breath.

"Oh, by-by the late king!" I wheezed, hunched over a chair while attempting to regain my breath. The paladins were grinning and laughing and Allura collapsed in her seat, joy displayed across her features.

"Oh, Allura! I-I owe you-an apology!" I chortled as we all collapsed into giggles. "That one actually worked to bring them together!"

"Hey, she's right! I actually don't hate you right now," Lance commented, looking joyfully down at Keith.

"You guys thinking what I'm thinking?" Pidge asked deviously and Shiro nodded.

"Let's go form Voltron! Yeah!"

"Actually, I was thinking dessert," Hunk countered, before he swung back into the Voltron mood. "But, yeah! Let's do it!"

"I told you I could get them to do it. They just needed a common enemy," Allura said proudly with a lift of her chin. I threw my hands in the air and nodded.

"Yes. Yes you did."

"It's true," Coran added, coming up beside Allura. "Like the old proverb says, 'A man can be driven to do anything, if a beautiful woman is just really, really mean to him."' and I snorted, turning away and ducking to avoid Allura's hand. Luckily, we were interrupted by walking into the common room to greet the Paladins.

"Man, that was cool! I'm so charged up, I don't know if I'm going to be able to sleep tonight," Lance ranted and Keith shook his head.

"Not me. When my head hits the pillow, I'm going to be lights out.,"

"I would honestly advise all of you to go to bed," I stepped in.

"Tomorrow is going to be even more exhausting than today," and Hunk very loudly groaned.

"What?! But we did so good today!"

"Exactly. You did well, but I unfortunately need to evaluate all of you," I answered honestly and all of them turned to me curiously.

"I have no idea what any of your hand to hand combat skills are, nor do I have any clue how any of you act together in groups or as a team. Tomorrow, I am going to give each of you various weapons and test your abilities with each of them. Once I have a starting point, then training really and truly begins," I finished with a smug grin and I was met with loud groans. Pidge was already half way across the room, ready to go to bed, Hunk and Lance right behind her. Shiro followed and Keith turned to me before he left.

"When we will get to see you fight, Kallie?" and I stared at him for a moment, yet again drawn 10,000 years into the past, swept away by a mirror of those words. I shook the past off quickly, shaking my head to clear it, before looking at him again.

"Go to bed, Keith," and I turned away. I bid Allura and Coran goodnight before with-drawing into my own chambers, walking past the battle-worn weapons upon the wall. I walked up to single holograph and took a moment to soak in the members of it.

There was Tahyliah, Blaytz, and Lance. He was beside Allura, his arm draped over her shoulder. Citlali and Trigel were deep in conversation while I was with Kelan, in the back, my arms wildly moving as I described a fighting stance. Sora and the Black Paladin were watching Kelan and I, while the Gyrgan and Koamalu sat watching all of us and laughing.

Coran had created the hologram without mine knowledge. He gave it to me shortly afterwards, for me to keep. A reminder that the world is not always cruel.

I took one last glance at them before turning and going to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All of those names at the end are important, and all of them are major characters. The names make a few more appearances in later chapters. I am going to start updating at least once a month. So hopefully I will have the next chapter up by the end of the month. I am coming up on finals and then I am going to be working a ton so I will do my best!  
> Tell me what you think!  
> Also, I am looking for someone to beta for me. So if you're interested, message me!


	4. Chapter 4

Needless to say, I was a little disappointed by their hand to hand combat the next morning. Keith and Shiro were the only two that were somewhat capable of defending themselves. I handed Lance a knife, he tried to show off, and then cut himself. I was embarrassed for him when that happened. Hunk tried to run away the second I held a knife out to him. Pidge held up surprisingly well until she stumbled and couldn't recover.

"Why exactly are we doing this?" she asked as the simulation ended. "Shouldn't we just have our bayards?"

"In the ideal situation, you would have them. But, this is war. There is no guarantee that any situation will be ideal. So, it's good for all of you to be familiar at the least with other weapons so you aren't completely defenseless if you can't use your bayard,"

"Are you trained in numerous weapons? Doesn't this seem a little overkill?" Hunk asked and i couldn't help but glance at him haughtily. "I am highly skilled in 4 different styles of sword, 17 knives, and an expert marksman with 6 different styles of blasters and 9 different styles of bow and arrow. I am proficient in 18 other forms of weapons and have proven proficiency in survival scenarios without the use of a proper weapon. I'm not expecting any of you become experts in multiple forms of weaponry. My goal is to make you skilled with your bayards and proficient with enough weapons to keep you alive when I cannot. The rest of your training will include agility, stamina, survival techniques, basic medical knowledge. It's my job to teach you how to stay alive long enough for myself or Coran to get you to safety. However Hunk, I am training all of you this extensively with the hope that you will never need it but with the precaution that you might. The 5 of you will be working closely together and you need to be able to protect each other. That's why i'm training you. So that each of you can feel confident that the other 4 have your back,"

I found Shiro grinning at me and he stepped forward. "Speaking of trust, how 'bout we go form Voltron?"

The request was met rather joyously and i couldn't help but grin. While they practiced forming Voltron, I brushed up on my own fighting skills. Coran agreed to spot me and I felt his gaze heavily upon my back as I grabbed the old broadsword from the wall.

I gripped it loosely, close to the hilt. The weapon was designed specifically for me, with the capabilities for both one or two handed combat. I personally preferred one hand, due to the more open posture and fluid motion. Hoewever, two handed swords did have a more closed posture and better protection. Thus, King Alfor had commissioned the sword for me, so it could suit me regardless of the mood.

Now, I held it loosely in one hand as the Gladiator stepped forward, its own sword held tight in its fist. Its face expressionless, its programmed posture perfect. Silence hung for endless moments. And then it attacked.

 

_Lance and Citlali stood in the corner evaluating me, Kalen tasked with evaluating my every move for him to learn from later. Talanear, here on a rare visit, stood in the corner, offering pointers while laughing with Sora and the Black Paladin. Alfor and Allura stood off the side, watching nervoussly as I ducked underneath a side swipe, launching forward and barring the Gladiators sword with my own and pushing it back. The Altean advisors stood beside master swordsmans, analyzing and evaluating my every motion._

_A sharp thrust had me twisting sideways, before turning to deliver a thrust of my own that had my sword brushing the collar of the Gladiator._

_This was my realm. This was my place of concentration and focus. Here, in the moment, in the rush of adrenaline and blood and motion. Those advisors who sought to look down upon me, who sought to find fault with my ability to protect Allura and Lance. The advisors who sought to separate me from the family I loved as my own._

_They would face my wrath. Any who sought to separate me from my charges, from my family. They would face the wrath of Corsith._

 

The Gladiator fell to the ground in a heap, and I turned to see Coran standing at the edge of the training field. Lance and Citlali were gone, the memory fading and its emotions flowing over me like water.

"You fight as fiercely as ever I see," Coran said softly. I stared at him, panting, before wiping the sweat from my forehead.

"Computer:Reset Gladiator. End Program," I commanded, before carefully, reverently, hanging my broadsword back up upon the wall, before staring at it.

"I will not lose them again. I will not lose to _him again._  I promised to protect them, Coran. I _will_  succeed."

 

 When I walked into the common room, the Paladins were arguing. Apparently, Lance had kicked an abandoned ship and caused Voltron to lose it's balance and fall.

"Your kick ruined our balance. We fell," Keith commented and Lance snorted.

"Well that falling part was Hunk's fault," and Hunk immediately protested, causing Shiro to step in.

"All right, save your energy for fighting Zarkon," he chided, shaking his head slightly, before turning to look at Coran as the old Altean spoke.

"Hello, guys! How was the Voltron workout?"

"We're getting there," Shiro answered between looking between Coran and I. "Are the three if you almost done fixing the Castle so we can leave this planet? I feel like we're sitting ducks here on Arus," Coran nodded.

"Just about. In the meantime, to get your minds off those duck seats you're worried about, I made you guys an authentic ancient paladin lunch!" Everyone immediately groaned, myself included.

"Coran, you just got me hooked on that goo and now you're switching it up?" Hunk moaned and I stepped back as Coran turned to me.

"This is packed with nutrients. Right Kalanera?" I threw my hands up, backing away and shaking my head.

"Coran, please recall the last time you made me eat the paladin lunch. All of us made the agreement that I would never have to eat it again," I explained quickly. "I do wish to remain true to that. Now, unfortunately, I must find Allura," and I darted away before Coran could make me eat it anyway.

Coran was an excellent Altean cook, he truly was. Allura, King Alfor, and the rest of the Royal family often greatly enjoyed Coran's cooking. The rest of the universe did not share the sentiment. The thought had me smiling wistfully as I found Allura in the man engines room.

"How's the nebulon booster coming?" I called leaning against the large piece of machinery. Allura huffed before scooting herself out from underneath it. She wore generic work clothes, a sturdy, yet comfortable jumper and a T-shirt, her own outfit wrinkled and covered in messy handprints. Allura's hair was up in a bun, stray strands floating about her head like a messy halo. Her mouth was twisted in a scowl and she had a dirt mark on her cheek, right beneath her eye scales. Her eyes were frustrated when she turned to look at me.

"It won't work," she grumbled, gesturing wildly towards the machine. "I fail to understand how you and Coran make these things work," she smiled softly and I stepped in front of her, opening the secondary panel.

"Sometime, the issues aren't going to be upfront and obvious. Sometimes, the least obvious solutions, the last one that comes to mind," I paused before reaching in, and pushing aside a few wires to reveal a smoking crack in the wire covering, interrupting the energy flow.

"Is the source of your problem." A disbelieving gasp escaped Allura and I grinned while opening a storage compartment in my arm that held technical supplies, quickly sealing the crack and turning back to Allura.

"Check the nebulon booster now," and she did, staring at the screen incredulously. She stared between me and the screen for a few moments before dismissing the screen and shaking her head.

"Thank you for your assistance. Shall we check on the Paladins?" she asked and I nodded, following her back up to the bridge, where she greeted Coran.

 

"We just got the final nebulon booster working. We should be able to leave Planet Arus tomorrow and take the fight to Zarkon!" Grins started spreading when an alarm began going off and the computer began beeping.

The screen identifying the cause of the alert appeared and showed a small creature darting between boulders approaching the castle.

"It's a local Arusian!" I exclaimed, a quick smile coming to my lips. The Arusians were a small, friendly people, who had left the castle in peace since we had landed here, after I had held negotiations with their first king.

"Doesn't look too dangerous," Lance stated correctly but he frowned when Keith pulled out his bayard. I set a hand on Keith's at before he could activate the sword.

"Don't worry," I said softly. "The Arusians are peaceful, I've met with them before," Keith regarded me for a moment before sighing and putting his bayard away and then following the others as they went out side to greet the local.

 

Allura guided the others outside and we were greeted by the Arusians' scream. Allura was quick to placate him.

"Greetings. We know you're there. No harm will come to you," and the small Arusian came out. He had horns that curved over his head and red marks along his face and arms. He held a jagged sword, about the length of one of my hunting knives. And he only came up to Allura's hip. Keith's immediate response was to make the Arusian drop his weapon, which just pissed the Arusian off, claiming that no one takes Klaizap's weapon. Allura, ever the diplomat, apologized.

"I am Klaizap, bravest of our warriors," The Arusian proclaimed, gesturing to the west. "Our village is over Gazrel Hill. I come seeking answers as to why the Lion Goddess is angered with her followers,"

"Followers?" Coran asked.

"Lion Goddess?" Hunk asked in suit and I couldn't help but cock my own head in confusion before realizing what the Arusian was talking about.

"The one the ancients spoke of," Klaizap said and I leaned close to Allura.

"He's talking about you and Voltron. They think you are the Lion goddess and that Voltron is your warrior," She stared at me for a moment and I looked away sheepishly. "I may, or may not, have had something, or nothing, to do with them believing that," I tapered off and she raised an eyebrow to glare at me for a moment before turning back to Klaizap.

"What makes you think she's angered?"

The Arusian answered quickly. "Destruction is everywhere. In the past few suns, fire has rained from the heavens and a giant has danced in the sky,"

"You have not angered the Lion Goddess," Allura assured quickly and Arusian seemed surprised before bowing before her. Allura, always the diplomat, asked to visit the village.

"What about our mission to get off this planet and fight Zarkon?" Keith asked and I set a hand on his shoulder.

"Part of the Paladin mission is to spread peace and diplomacy," I replied before glancing back at Allura. "You also need to remember that Allura is a very diplomatic person. Wherever we go, she's going to want to spread peace and create alliances. And besides, we can't take the fight to Zarkon until I can get the Castle finished. You go on with them. I'm going to stay behind and work," Keith regarded me cautiously for a moment and I smiled softly.

"We should be leaving Arus by tomorrow. Humor Allura for me. Meet some aliens, have some fun," I called as I departed. "You're in space for Kordan's sake!" and I walked inside.

 

A few hours passed before I was able to finished the updates to the castle and my own systems and proceed to the Arusian village. I was about halfway there when a foreign entity entered the atmosphere. The boom of its reentry had my whirling around, watching the giant ball of fire quickly fall. Panic had me rushing towards the Arusian village.

 

"Allura!" I cried and she turned towards me. "A foreign entity just entered the atmosphere, it's heading out towards the desert. It looks as if it will land near the wreckage of Sendax's ship," I huffed and she took a deep breath.

"Do we know anything else about it?" She asked softly and I paused, meeting her gaze.

"Preliminary analysis indicates the ship is Galran."

At that moment, Shiro's voice came in through the intercom.

"Team, come in! We need backup! Hello? Where is everyone?" I opened my mouth to reply when the ground shook as the ship collided with the ground. Dust plumed into the sky and everyone struggled to maintain their footing as the air wave crashed over the village.

 

"Keith, Lance, Hunk!" I called. "Get to your Lions, _now!_ Allura, Coran, get the Arusians inside, find a safe secure place, I'm going to head back to the castle, see if I can give the Paladins any information and help them,"

She nodded, grabbing my arm.

"Be safe. Help the Paladins,"

I nodded. "Forever and always, Your Majesty," I replied, taking pleasure in the soft, scolding smile on her lips before she turned away, directly everyone inside. A quick smile flashed across my lips when Hunk tried to stay inside but Keith prevented him. I took off running, with Lance on my heels.

"Do we know anything about that thing?" He called and I nodded firmly.

"Yes. It's Galran in origin, and I just received word from a contact that it's a creature created by Zarkon's right hand, a druid by the name of Haggar. I don't know anything else yet," Lance looked at me grimly before nodding and running off towards his lion. I pounded my way to the bridge, activating sensors and weapon systems. My fingers flew across the keys as I received messages from my contacts within the Galran Empire, before focusing on one of them.

"Paladins!" I called and they answered in my ear.

"This creature was created by the druid Haggar, Zarkon's right hand. It's a machine with the consciousness of a Galran gladiator. He excelled in offering entertainment by toying with prisoners and then killing them,"

"I remember," Shiro whispered and that drew everyone's attention.

"It happened while I was captive. I remember fighting him,"

"Orb! Orb!" Hunk yelled and then Voltron was taken to the ground by the orb the RoBeast possessed. I pulled up visual feed and watched. The thing had stick that looked similar to a torch. Except the light was an giant electric orb that swung around, knocking into Voltron. While the boys were distracted by the orb, the beast would then launch an attack himself.

"How do we beat this thing?" Pidge yelled.

"Shiro," I called softly and he replied back into my ear.

"I need you to calm down and I need you to focus. Remember your battle. Focus on Black, let her defend you and calm you down. Now remember,"

"I had a sword. When I beat him, I had a sword,"

"How do we get one of those?" Hunk called, as they struggled to dodge another blow.

"We can't take another blow like that!" Pidge called. "We need a shield!" And then to the astonishment of the Paladins, the wings on the back of Voltron folded together to form a shield, held in the Green Lion's maw.

"Well Pidge, ask, and it just might happen," I said smugly when I received another piece of information.

"The Gladiators name was Myzak. He had been fighting for the Galra for years and he went up against Shiro. Shiro, you were the first to defeat him in combat and because of his defeat, he never fought in the arena again. Haggar transformed him in this RoBeast so Myzak would have the chance to have revenge against Shiro, who is now known as the Champion among the Empire,"

"I remember. At least a little. When I beat him last time, I had a sword with me," Shiro confirmed and Keith spoke up.

"Guys, I think my Lion's trying to tell me something. Give me just a sec," and I heard the click in the back of my mind, and watched as the Red and Green Lion came together and formed the sword of the Red Lion.

"Keith, was that you?" Lance creid as everyone stared in awe at the giant longsword.

"You have your weapon, Paladins," I said. "Now attack." And attack they did. The RoBeast fell immediately and I sent a message back to my contacts, informing them that the beast was no more.

"Good work, Paladins. Now disband and return to the Castle. I'll inform Allura and the Arusians that the danger has passed.

 

Later, the prisoners were awake, and ready to be released, ready to return home. Apparently, Shiro and Pidge had gotten into a dispute earlier because Shiro had attacked Pidge's brother, Matt. Shiro explained that he had attacked Matt so Matthew wouldn't have to fight Myzak. By injuring Pidge's brother, Shiro had ensured that Matt would be sent to work camp and wouldn't have to fight. Shiro saved Matthew by attacking him. All was now forgiven between the two Paladins as we said farewell to the prisoners.

"Good luck out there," Lance wished, waving them off. The head prisoner, from the Clordion system, nodded his head.

"Thank you all for everything. We never dreamed we'd see our families again. But you gave us hope. You gave the universe hope,"

 

"Congratulations Paladins. Welcome to another victory," I grinned and Keith slugged me on the shoulder.

"You knew about the sword and the shield, didn't you?" he asked and I nodded.

"I knew about the shield. I wasn't certain that your bayard would activate the sword, since this a different set of Paladins than the ancient ones. Besides, I have to allow all of you to discover the secrets of Voltron for yourselves. I can't tell you everything," I winked before turning to Allura, whom was speaking with the Arusian king about the celebratory feast.

"I think that challenge was successful. Pidge and Lance certainly seem to be enjoying the victory," Allura nodded.

"That's good, I suppose. Confidence will help them greatly in battle," I nodded in response and we watched them for a few moments.

"Are you going to tell them?" Allura asked softly and I regarded the Paladins for a few more moments, knowing exactly what topic she was discussing.

"Am I going to tell them about myself, Zarkon, your father and the other Paladins?" she nodded out of the corner of my eye and I shook my head.

"No. I don't want Keith to believe that he has to compete to remain the Red Paladin. Nor do I want Shiro to be affected by the knowledge of who the previous Black Paladin was."

"What are you going to do if they begin to remember?" she asked cautiously.

"I'll tell them the truth. I'm surprised that Lance's memories haven't returned yet, but hopefully they will soon. As for the others, I'm not sure when their memories will return. But when they do, I will answer their questions and answer them as well as I can,"

Allura nodded. "I can agree with that. I just want Lance to remember soon," she said wistfully. I reached out and grabbed her hand.

"I know. I want your brother to remember too,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah. I've had shit royally hit the fan the past three months in a never ending cycle. Updates are gonna start coming a lot more often, especially with the release of season 3!!!!!!!!!! Comment your questions, you know the drill.


	5. Chapter 5

The following night, the Arusians put on a play, depicting Voltron's victory over the RoBeast while everyone else feasted in the entry hall of the Castle.

Allura, formal as ever, thanked them when the performance was done.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for that.. wonderful production. It saddens me that we must leave tomorrow, but we must continue our battle with Zarkon and spread peace throughout the universe. Your Highness, please accept this gift. This will allow you to contact us anytime you need help. Arus will be the first planet in the Voltron Alliance," and she gave him a comm that would allow them to contact us if they ever needed our help.

The cheer the Arusians gave sparked a conversation among the Paladins of creating a cheer of their own but the conversation drifted to the back of my mind as Lance tried to guide Keith through a cheer and Keith failed somehow.

I laughed however as I caught Lance trying Nunvill, which he spit out instantly.

As Coran explained that Nunvill was called the nectar of the gods and that the old Altean used it as a hair tonic, I walked up to Lance, slinging my hand around his shoulder.

"How does he enjoy this?" Lance questioned, his face scrunched against the taste. I grinned deviously before grabbing his drink.

"It tastes better after awhile," I swirled it around, looking between Lance and the cup. "Besides, what is that Earthen saying? 'No balls?'" I asked, before swinging the bitter tasting, swallowing all of it and grinning at Lance, concealing my want to hurl. The Paladins and I had held contests to see who could down the most without hurling. I was still the winner. My happy mood diminished as I realized that we would never compete again. This was my first cup of Nunvill in 10,000 years. I detached from Lance as I glanced to my left, unexpectedly surprised when Tayliah and Blaytz weren't there. I swayed away from the Paladins, numbly informing them hat I was going to conduct a perimeter sweep for the sake of privacy.

 

The Arusians were enjoying the party, laughing with each other, hugging, talking with the Paladins. Allura was talking with the mice, Pidge was sneaking food into her backpack. Lance was disappearing up the stairs, looking about as downtrodden as I felt. Coran was following after him while Shiro was conducting an actual perimeter sweep ash I hid up in the rafters where no one could see and no one could reach me.

My mind wandered back to the last time I had held a celebration with the Paladins. Before the war, before Zarkon and Honerva, before the destruction of Daibazaal, the Galran home planet. Before the comet ever hit Daibazaal, the comet that would create Voltron. Back when Corsith was using quintessence to ensure the safety of its people. Back when my only duty was to protect Allura and Lance.

My princess was currently talking to Pidge, and I imagined a time when her, Lance, Tayliah and myself would run all over the palace. When the Queen would chase us around, laughing alongside us. When Blaytz offered to take Tayliah for a spin in the Blue Lion and they discovered that Tayliah could pilot it.

I leaned back against the ceiling, allowing the memories to flow over me in flashes of sorrow and longing.

_Marmora telling me the truth about what I was. My father informing King Alfor that I wasn't welcome on Corsith anymore. Zarkon and the other Paladins comforting me when I received the news. Damacles and Talanear disobeying the King so they could come and see me. I cried when they arrived. The Altean council questioning my ability to protect Allura, Lance and the rest of the royal family and Talanear's laugh echoing in my ears as he laughed in their faces. My disbelief and pride as he called them absurd, blind, moronic, if they believed I wouldn't protect them. Their jaws dropping to the floor when this incredibly young girl, from the weak Planet of Corsith took all of their accusations and deflected them seven fold. Honerva falling ill and Zarkon asking for the Paladins help. My first time in the cockpit with the Paladins. The destruction of Daibazaal. The Galran funeral. Zarkon's rage. The destruction of Corsith. The evacuation of Lance and our Earthen guests. The destruction of Altea._

"Kallie?"

I jerked upright, shifting to the side and sliding off the support beam I was rested on. I instantly reached out my hand on reflex, gripping the very edge of the beam and I screamed in pain as my arm was yanked out of its socket as I fell over the side. I swung out onto the platform as quickly as I could and I came to a painful stop by slamming into the wall. My left hand flew up to my right shoulder, quickly popping it back into place with a grimace of pain as I leaned against the wall.

"Are you ok?" it was Keith. I looked up to concern scrawled across his features as he glanced at my arm.

I sighed, nodding. "Yes. I'm fine. You just surprised me,"

He nodded and looked around. "What are you doing up here?"

"Hiding, if I'm being honest. First celebration in over 10,00 years. It's a little overwhelming."

"Oh," he responded, looking around nervously. I chuckled before standing and leaning against the railing.

"I also have a great view of the entire venue from up here. Makes it easier to see threats and possible fights," as I spoke, I heard Pidge and Shiro below me. My sharp hearing told me that Pidge was informing Shiro she was leaving. What? I jumped down, leaving a rope trailing behind me so Keith could follow. Pidge was explaining why she was leaving when I landed.

"The download from the Galra ship was enough to at least get me in the right direction to start my search. I have a pod all ready to go,"

Keith quickly picked up on what she was saying. "You can't leave!"

"You can't tell me what to do," she retaliated and Keith's face darkened.

"If you leave, we can't form Voltron. And that means we can't defend the universe against Zarkon. You're not the only one with a family. All these Arusians have families. Everyone in the universe has families,"

Hunk jumped on the wagon, siding with Pidge, asking if he could leave to see his family on Earth.

"You want to leave to?" I asked, eyeing him sideways. Hunk wanting to leave wasn't something I had counted on.

"Of course I do!" he replied, "Voltron is super cool, don't get me wrong, but I never signed up for a lifetime in space fighting aliens,"

“You are putting the lives of two people over the lives of everyone else in the entire galaxy!" Keith exploded and Shiro was there, bracing an arm against Keith's shoulder.

"Keith, that's not how a team works. People have to want to be a part of it. They can't be forced. If you want to leave, we won't try to stop you. But, please, just think about what you're doing," he pleaded, but Pidge turned away, her eyes going hard.

"I'm sorry. You're going to have to find someone else to pilot the Green Lion," and she began to walk away when I stepped forward.

"What if there isn't one? What if the only person we want to fly the Green Lion is you?" She paused, but not for long.

"Then I suggest you get over it and start looking," and she walked away.

"What do we do now?" Keith asked and I took a deep breath to respond when the Castle exploded. The entire building shook, debris falling and the lights flickered. The Arusians bolted for the door screaming and the Paladins jumped.

"Come on!" I yelled. "It was the power crystal," and I ran for the chamber without looking back.

 

When I entered, Allura was beside me and dust was billowing everywhere, slowly settling. I stepped inside, searching for something when the dust cleared just enough for me to spot a moving tuft of orange.

"Coran!" I yelled, darting forward to help the Altean to his feet.

"What happened?" Shiro asked and Coran shook his head.

"I'm not sure," I replied and Allura gasped.

"The crystal. It's been destroyed," I stood slowly, guided Coran to his feet and surveyed the damage. Sure enough, it was broken and splintered, shards littering the ground and the walls around it.

Allura gasped again and ran forward with a scream. "Lance!" Shiro was right behind her, darting to Lance's side and turning him so we could survey the damage. He face was cut up and bruised, pieces of crystal glass sticking to his skin. His arm bent around him unnaturally. Blood was seeping out of his Paladin armor and he groaned as Shiro moved him, more crystal falling from his skin.

"We have to get him to the infirmary," Pidge cried and I shook my head.

"Without the crystal, the Castle has no power. We might need to conduct a personal examination," I replied and the Arusian King ran inside.

"Lion warriors, our village is under attack! We need help!"

Keith jumped to it, claiming they needed to get to the Lions when Allura stopped him.

"You can't. They're sealed in their hangars. There's no way to get them out without power. We're defenseless,"

"Will you not help us?" the King cried and Keith groaned in frustration.

"We'll help you. We just -" and lance groaned, all of us falling silent.

Coran broke the silence. "We have to get a new crystal to get the Castle working again. But, to get a new crystal, we need a ship,"

"The pod I was loading, we can use that! I left the bay door open," Pidge replied and Coran nodded, grabbing Hunk and leaving with Pidge.

"I can use the scanner in the pod to see if there's a Balmera nearby. Hunk, you come with me. I'll need someone big to help me carry the crystal."

"A Balmera?" Hunk asked and they trailed off.

I nodded, the problems falling into place in my head as Keith spoke.

"I'll go to the village,"

"I'll join you. I brought this upon the poor Arusians," Allura volunteered and I grabbed her arm to stop her.

" _We_ brought this down upon the Arusians. There is no one person at fault here. I'll come with as well. Keith may need the back up," I turned to Shiro.

"Can you stay with the Castle and tend to Lance?" He nodded and we went off running.

Once we arrived, the village was in flames. The Arusians were gathered around on the outskirts, according to them, everyone had been evacuated. 

Allura stood on the edge of the hill, looking down and we could see sentries from here, standing amidst the flames.

”Keith,” I said and he turned to me. “Check it out, something about this doesn’t feel right,” he nodded and jumped forward, using his jet pack to control his descent. Allura and I spread out, questioning the Arusians about the flames. Apparently, they had come to find the village beginning to burn after they fled the castle after the power outage. The flames had spread too far for them to stop it and they had come to us for help.

”Keith,” I called over the comm. “Talk to me, what’s going on down there?”

“They tricked us! It was just a diversion to separate us and thin the Castle defenses!”

I ran, Allura right behind me. “Keith, we have to get to the castle immediately. Catch up!” And Allura and I poured on speed, Keith following just behind. Panicked fueled my movements, adding speed to my Corsithian strength and then the particle barrier began to descend. It was dark purple, a twisted replica of its true color and another yell poured more speed into me. My promise to Alfor ranging in my ears as I fell into a slide and skidded beneath the particle barrier, it’s energy singing my hand as I came to a stop. On the other side, Allura and Keith pounded against it. Allura looked at me after she realized they were truly sealed out.

”We can’t let them activate the launch sequence. He can’t leave with Voltron,” I nodded.

”I know. Trust me, I can stop him. Make contact with Pidge, send them to the main engine control panel to disconnect the power turbine. Walk Pidge through it. I’m going to try and take the bridge from Sendak and find out the status of Lance and Shiro!”

”Can we break through the barrier?” Keith asked and I shook my head.

“No,” Allura answered. “And if Sendak and Haxus have taken the Castle, it means they have a crystal, which means they'll be able to fly the ship. They must be stopped,” then a voice crackled over the comms.

“Keith, Kallie, can you hear me?” And I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Pidge, is that you? Where are you?” Keith asked and I looked back at the castle as she answered.

“I'm inside the Castle. Sendak has taken over and he's preparing for launch. He's got Lance and Shiro!” Allura froze, her gaze snapping to mine and I met it evenly. Her eyes told me all I needed to know and I nodded once, sharply.

”I won’t forget my oath, Allura. I’ll take care of your brother,” I whispered and her eyes softened. At that moment, the ground shuddered, the air thrumming with power as the launch sequence was initiated.

”They've begun the launch sequence. Pidge, Allura is going to walk you through how to shut it down. Don’t worry about Lance and Shiro right now, I’ll take care of them and Sendak,” I looked at Allura, who nodded once in my direction. I nodded back before turning and running for the Castle, my brain switching into _analyze and neutralize_  mode.

The main castle doors had already closed. After the launch sequence was activated, all external doors would close in the span of roughly 3 doubashes. With the main doors closed, that meant that only service entrances might still be open. I activated my connection to the Castle, opening the service door closest to the front door. It swung open and I ran inside, the lock clicking behind me. This hallway ran along side the main hall but I needed to get to the bridge. The fastest path was along the main hall, before it veered off to the left towards the servants quarters. I followed it before turning right, climbing a ladder, and then running straight, which put me on the viewing balcony right over the bridge.

A large purple crystal sat heavily in the center of the room with long tubes connecting it to the remaining shards of the power crystal on the ceiling. Sendak stood on the main dias, overseeing the second galran named Haxus. Haxus was standing at the main control console, activating the launch sequence. I checked the surveillance and saw Pidge approaching the main engine control panel. Soon, the launch sequence would be delayed. Down below, to Sendak’s back, was Lance and Shiro. Lance was still unconscious and Shiro was beside him, his hands secured behind his back with a chain connecting him to Lance. Shiro couldn’t run, couldn’t fight, not without further hurting Lance.

All of the variables loaded themselves. The state of Lance and Shiro. The location of Haxus, Sendak and Pidge. Pidge’s diversion that would activate in one doubashe. The second the power died, I used to distraction to drop down, hiding in the corner of the room as Haxus discovered Pidge. My grin widened as Sendak ordered Haxus to find Pidge and take her out.

”Be careful Pidge. They’re coming,”

Be careful Sendak. Because I’m coming.

 


	6. Chapter 6

One of the first lessons taught at the Academy is patience. Just because you found an opening, doesn’t mean you should take it. Wait for your oppponent to get sloppy, wait for them to make a mistake. All you have to do and wait for them to get hasty and caught up in their victory. A big mistake to make when you’re trying to stage a coup is split up your group. Never split it up unless, statistically, you are certain they can’t be beaten. Never underestimate an opponent either. Sendak made both mistakes. As he sent Haxus and all of his drones off to find Pidge, kill her, and restart the launch sequence, Sendak left himself vulnerable. He also made another mistake. He left his back to his prisoners. And he forgot about me.

After Sendak sent Haxus to the Central Energy Chamber, they tapped into the feed I sent them, alerting them to Pidge’s plan as Allura spoke to her. After they cut the feed, Pidge contacted me.

“Did they tap the feed?”

“Yes. Sentries are now heading your way and Haxus is heading back to the Central Energy Chamber. Take them out, keep ‘em distracted. I’ll take care of Sendak.”

”Got it. Give me about 5 minutes and then I can take out Haxus,” She replied. “Green out,” and we cut the feed.

I didn’t have much time. The first thing I did was crawl forward and and place a hologram over Lance, Shiro and I, so Sendak wouldn’t be able to detect any changes. I reached for their handcuff and as I did, I wrapped an arm around Shiro’s, leaning in close to whisper in his ear.

”Don’t make a sound. I’m going to release you and Lance and then get you both out of here,” 

He relaxed in my hold and nodded, shifting to lean forward until I pulled him back so he wouldn’t displace the hologram. I then grabbed Lance and slowly but surely began to drag him behind one of the Paladin seats.

Once that was done, I noted Sendak’s position at the consol. He was walking Haxus through the start up routine. The castle filled with a humming noise that built and then died seconds later, a slight shocked running over my skin. I pulled up my video feed and realized that Pidge had overloaded the main frame and was currently taking down Haxus. Good girl.

While Sendak was busy trying to contact Haxus, I pulled Shiro out of the way, positioning him with Lance behind one of the Paladin seats.

"What’s the plan?” He whispered and I grinned.

"Take out Sendak, take back the castle, wait for Coran and Hunk to return, reinstall the new power crystal, heal Lance, take out Zarkon, free the universe,” he blinked at me and then smiled.

"Glad to know there’s a plan,”

"Always, Shiro. There’s always a plan,” and then I left him with Lance, making my way back over to Sendak while he was communicating with Pidge.

“You've slowed me down, but this ship is mine! You will turn yourself over to me immediately!" He declared and Pidge’s response was never.

"Well, then, maybe your leader can convince you." And he walked over to the hologram while I walked around behind him, switching on my intercom just as Sendak reached the hologram. He reached his arm out and the illusion shimmered and vanished, leaving Sendak grasping at thin air.

"WHAT!?!?”

“Excellent work, Pidge,” and I ran forward, jumping and kicking Sendak across the face, sending him flying back.

”Now get your clever self up to the bridge while I finish off Sendak,”

”You got it!” And Sendak rose to his feet to face me.

“Who are you?”

”I am the Guardian of the Altean Royal Family and the Castle of the Lions. ”

"I am Commander Sendak of the Galra Empire. I take my orders directly from Emperor Zarkon,"

"You are pathetic and easy, and should stand down," I retorted and he snarled.

"Victory or death!"

”Agreed.” And I attacked. He shot his prosthetic at me and I jumped, landing on in and sending it crashing to the floor. Darting forward, I decked him, landing numerous blows to his face before landing a roundhouse kick to his chest. As he stumbled, I jumped up and backwards to avoid his hand as it retracted towards him. I ran forward again, landing blows targeting his joints until he swung his arm and caught me in the side. I felt two ribs break as I collided with wall.

My first mistake was underestimating him. Sendak was clever, otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to take the Castle. He’s also all muscle, but he definitely isn’t lacking in speed.

”You seem very familiar,” and I looked up at him as I staggered to my feet.

”Your aren’t Altean, like the Princess, nor are you Human,”

The energy, the quintessence, in the room, it shifted then. I could see Shiro, the Champion, across the room, trying to protect Lance even in his wounded state. Sendak, a commander of the Galra Empire, a galra who had succeeded in taking the Castle of the Lions, so cocky and confident in his victory.

A galran commandeer. A human Chamion. An unconscious prince. All three of them giving off quintessence, filling the room with spent energy. I took a deep breath, drawing it out as long as I could and I felt my ribs jerk back into place, healing instantly. Energy buzzed and hummed beneath my skin, building and building, needed to be released.

”What are you?”

”I am Corsithian,” and his eyes widened in time for me to move, landing a deadly blow to the center of his chest that sent him flying backwards. Shiro was already grabbing Lance and moving, taking both of them into a different corner of the room, to a safe place away from Sendak and I.

”The Corsithian’s are gone! Corsith was destroyed to make way for the glory of the Galra Empire!”

”Corsith isn’t just a planet and a race, Sendak. It’s a promise, and I will destroy you for it.” Then I made my second mistake, the realization dawning on me the second the words left my lips. I waited too long. I didn’t ensure that Lance and Shiro were safe. And I failed to fully analyze how quickly Sendak could _move._

He was two feet to the left, his gauntlet darting forward and by the time I moved, Sendak’s hand was reaching out, wrapping my neck in a deadlock. And Lance was hanging there, all limp arms and legs, Shiro trying desperately to pry him from Sendak's claws.

I jerked against him, knowing I couldn’t flip him without hurting Lance. Quickly, I placed my palms against his skin, focusing on his energy, his quintessence, and doing everything in my power to drain Sendak dry. He tightened his grip on my neck and spots slowly started to appear when a shout reverberated through the room. 

”Lance!”

All eyes turned towards Pidge and she didn’t wait long. She immediately ran forward, toward me, firing her bayard to strike Sendak in the face. He released me to deflect it and then Pidge was swinging her bayard, severing Sendak’s connection to the gauntlet. Sendak and I screamed and Shiro was there, catching the gauntlet, catching Lance, already prying him out of the claws. I ran towards them, scooping Lance into my arms and setting him down a safer distance away from us. I looked up in time for Shiro to get knocked aside by Sendak.

Keith was fighting back Sendak with his bayard, cornering him towards the crystal. Allura was at the control consol, her fingers flying over the keys. Pidge was helping Shiro, Allura was safe, Lance was behind me and Keith had left his guard open. A shot whizzed past me, the blue bolt finding it's target, sending Sendak firing back and away from Keith. I heard Lance collapse again behind me. I picked up a scattered piece of rubble, holding the rough metal in my hand for a moment before raising my arm and firing. The metal flew, and Sendak's scream harmonized with the resonating crack as his metal eye splintered and broke. Allura sang Keith's name and the boys' shove created rhythm with Sendak's stumble as the Galran Commander stumbled towards the power crystal. The hum of the energy barrier sealed his fate and the 5 of us froze for a few ticks before collectively breathing a sigh of relief. Keith and Shiro both moved to check on Lance and I went to Allura.

"Nice thinking," I nodded and she smiled briefly at me.

"Well, we had to be good for something," and then she grimaced. "I can not stand the idea that Sendak broke in here so easily,"

"It was because of the party. We had our defenses down in preparation for tomorrow, and we were celebrating the victory against Mizak. They were simple, easy mistakes, Allura. Easy to make, yet also easy to correct," I comforted, placing a hand on her shoulder. They sagged and she took a deep breath before glancing up at Lance.

"We need to get him into a healing pod," she whispered and I whirled around as another voice spoke.

"What happened in here?"

"Coran! Hunk!" Pidge breathed and I huffed a small laugh.

"Quick, we need to get a new healing crystal installed so that Lance can heal. Allura, Keith, you two are in charge of knocking out Sendak and getting him down to a cryo-cell. Hunk, Coran and I can install the new crystal and get Lance into a healing pod," I said quickly and everyone began moving.

 

Less than an hour later, Lance was in a new pod, already beginning to heal. He would be fully healed in about a day, but the scars would probably linger. Pidge had also decided to stay with the team after explaining how she how she had missed Matt and her dad. Shiro was putting a comforting arm around her shoulder when I stepped forward and kneeled in front of her.

"I can't promise you very much. The only thing I can promise you is that I will try. I have contacts all over the place in the Empire, some stagnant and others active. I will reach out to all of them, asking for even the slightest mention of Matthew or your father. I can't promise you that I will find them, and I can't promise that I will find anything soon. But Pidge, I promise, you have all of my resources at your disposal to find them. Do we have a deal?" My answer was a hug instead of the handshake I was looking for.


End file.
